The origin of this cultural event was in the meetings that Franz Shubert organised with his friends in Vienna and was called “Shubertiada”. In these sessions, Shubert showed his new compositions and others from other compositors who continued with these meetings even after Shubert died. From those meetings came the “Shubertiada” in Vilabertran which is celebrated in the Romanesque church of Santa Maria de Vilabertran.
In 1970’s, coinciding with the worldwide discover of Shubert’s works, was organised in a town called Hohenehms (Viena), an annual “Shubertiada”. This event had so much success than it was moved to the Feldkirch city.
In Catalonia, this celebration was converted into the International Music Festival in Empordà, a music and cultural event that was celebrated in Vilabertran and was very successful. In 1992, Youth Musicians in Figueras organised the first Shubertiada inSpain.
Nowadays, in “Shubertiada de Vilabertran” we can find lieder recitals the most cultivated works by Shubert and symphonies. In order to create this recitals, Shubert compose hundreds of songs, some of them very success like “An die Musik”, “Winter travel” and “LakeSwan”.
With the idea to keep the original spirit of “Shubertiads”, they also have in his agenda works from other composers, especially his contemporaneous and works especially composed for this Music Festival.
Source and photography: en.schubertiadavilabertran.cat
Text: Mar Mampel